Poster Reviews Volume #6

The Good Fight – Season One
First let’s get this out of the way: I don’t get the tagline. It’s trying way too hard to be controversial, and it ruins an otherwise stellar piece of artwork. The juxtaposition of the red with the black & white does make for a stunning visual though, and the fact that all three women share equal space effectively conveys the idea that The Good Fight will be an ensemble piece (much more than The Good Wife ever was). At least the below banner had the decency to remove the line and focus on some character details (Maia is a lesbian, Lucca is up to no good, and Diane just stares out into the distance).
Tagline: Get Nasty.Nad RatingB+

The Defenders – Season OneHow do you market a show with four larger-than-life superheroes and a multitude of diverging plot-lines? Easy, you only give a hint of your characters and tease the heck out of your audience. I appreciate how simple this artwork is, even with the use of “Defend” instead of The Defenders. Also, notice Matt’s cane in the corner? Awesomeness.
Tagline: Defend.
Nad RatingB+

I love American Crime, but as elegant as these posters are, they could be a whole lot better. The first two sort of work because you see the season’s theme in the background (immigrant workers), but Regina King’s visual has nothing going on. That’s a missed opportunity if you ask me. Perhaps a tagline could have saved this series?
Tagline: None.Nad RatingC

Legion – Season OneNow this is just beautiful. In fact, it doesn’t even need a tagline: it’s a visually eye-catching delight as one man’s mind explodes in a magnificent showcase of colors and power. And the words “Marvel Television” are more than enough to convey that this is not your ordinary show, but something otherworldly and superhuman. I absolutely love this.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingA

American Gods – Season OneAlthough this poster tells me nothing about the show, I’m a big fan of the atmosphere and feelings it evokes. Our two leads chilling by their car, the sign with the show’s title hanging above, and of course that bull (?) just casually strutting by. The one-word tagline is also wonderfully mysterious. I really shouldn’t be praising this poster, but surprisingly it works ridiculously well.
Tagline: Believe.Nad RatingB

House of Cards – Season FiveAt first glance, this feels like the show’s first unmemorable poster. However, the more I look at it, the more I appreciate the details: the American flag’s red lines are actually drawn with blood, and the stars are in fact Xs (both probably signify the Underwoods’ love for death and destruction). Pretty clever if you ask me!
Tagline: Together we are strong.Nad RatingB+

The Americans – Season FiveI hate that I haven’t caught up with The Americans (I’ve only seen one), but I’malways in awe of the show’s posters. This is yet another stunner, with bold, bright colors and a powerful imagery. I especially love that tight grip on Keri’s wrist, which definitely hints at something more nefarious going on between the couple. Definitely a win in my book.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingB+

Big Little Lies – Season OneBig Little Lies had a perfect 7-episode season this year, but I’m not terribly fond of this artwork. I get what they were going for, but it just falls flat. Why are Nicole and Reese looking off to the side while Shailene is just staring at us? Feels messy to me. Great line though.
Tagline: A perfect life is a perfect lie.Nad RatingC

Big Little Lies – Season OneBetter but still not great. The show’s premise should yield amazing posters not this half-baked attempt. While I like the fact that the leads aren’t present in this one, the font used for the falling F is horrendous. It reminds me of Facebook, and that just reeks of cheap photoshop. It’s a pity, because the witty wordplay deserved a better visual.
Tagline: It’s a wonderful li(f)e.Nad RatingB-

Fear The Walking Dead – Season ThreeI stopped watching Fear The Walking Dead after a few dull episodes in season two, but this magnificent artwork really caught my eye. The colors are downright ravishing, the imagery with our guy’s face transforming into a walker with the blood is perfect, and the line is excellent. Definitely one of the best posters of the year.
Tagline: Fear what you become.Nad RatingA-

The Flash / Supergirl CrossoverThis is really nifty. Sure there’s a heck of a lot of photoshop going on particularly on Melissa’s face, but I love the juxtaposition of both their powers with The Flash’s lightning and Supergirl’s cape wrapping around them. Plus the sign above them fits the vibe perfectly. If only the musical episode itself wasn’t such a disaster.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingB+

The Handmaid’s Tale – Season OneHow outstanding is this? Everything from Elisabeth Moss’ strange attire, to the half-framed soldier and the blood splattered on the wall is absolute gloriousness. And the line? First-rate! Another contender for one of the best posters of the year. Wow!
Tagline: We will bear no more. Nad RatingA

The Handmaid’s Tale – Season OneAnother winner. It doesn’t really say what the show is about, but it’s a classy visual that oozes prestige television from every corner. When this much work goes into crafting such gorgeous visuals, you know the marketing department ain’t kidding around. Kudos!
Tagline: None.Nad RatingA-

The Handmaid’s Tale – Season OneThe simplicity of this poster makes it incredibly memorable. A one word tagline that gets your blood pumping, and just enough mystery to ensure you give the pilot a shot. Hulu, you’re really knocking it out of the park! What’s even more impressive is the below series with a different tagline for each character. I can’t remember the last time I saw this much effort and attention to detail for such a large number of visuals. Wow.
Tagline: Object.Nad RatingA-

Iron Fist – Season OneI couldn’t even finish the pilot episode of Iron Fist but this artwork is at least well made. The powered up fist catches your interest, the color tones are aesthetically pleasing, and the font is terrifically funky. If only the show lived up to this poster’s potential.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingB

The Mist – Season OneA superb poster that effectively conveys the idea that The Mist in question is going to turn this town upside down. And I absolutely love the tagline. Notice how punctuation changes everything and gives it a double meaning. Nicely done!
Tagline: Fear. Human. Nature.Nad RatingB+

Once Upon A Time – Season SixAlthough I stopped watching Once Upon A Time years ago, I’ve always been a big fan of the show’s posters. Their artworks always follow a somewhat consistent template that’s colorful, engaging, and clever. I don’t watch the show but I’m almost intrigued to catch up when I see Captain Hook’s iconic limb with the wedding rings hanging on. Super cool!
Tagline: None.Nad RatingB+

Riverdale – Season OneI like this one. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it gets the job done and sells the reboot effectively enough. The neon lights and the colors are visually dazzling, and the tagline is much smarter than you’d expect. Simply substituting “From” with “With” is a subtle way of alluding to all the murders going on in this sinister town.
Tagline: A great place to get away with it all.Nad RatingB

And here we go: probably my favorite posters of the year. I love everything about these: the fact that the artwork sells the diet as an actual thing is just genius, and you appreciate these posters a whole lot more after watching the show. My one beef is that the font on the bullet points isn’t consistent across both posters, but that’s a minor quibble. Nevertheless, almost perfect!
Tagline: Try it today!Nad RatingA

Santa Clarita Diet – Season OneCompletely different than the first two, and yet equally amazing, this is another winner. I love that you might not even notice the blood at first, because everything else is picture perfect suburbia. A line would have made this even more ideal, but I’m not complaining. My recommendation: Sunday picnics are always a good idea.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingA-

Time After Time – Season OneWell this is just plain terrible. The photoshop is grade-school level, and that’s a real shame when the idea behind the execution isn’t so bad with our two time-traveling leads standing on a big ol’ clock. At least try to throw in a tagline to salvage the atrocious eye-sore, because this is beyond lazy.
Tagline: None.Nad RatingD

The Path – Season TwoI never really watched past this show’s dreadfully long pilot, but this is an eye-catching visual. Michelle Monaghan’s sneaky smile reminds me of the artwork ABC frequently employed on Desperate Housewives, and the tagline works perfectly with the poster’s creepy content. Notice the dead(?) deer on the side too.
Tagline: Nothing stays buried.Nad RatingB+

The 100 – Season FourI don’t watch The 100but I must praise this killer poster. The color palette is arresting, the flames and the explosions are oh so apocalyptic, and the cast watching on just gives it that cinematic, epic vibe. Perhaps I should finally give this show a shot?
Tagline: From the ashes we will rise.Nad RatingA-

The OA – Season OneThe OA was one of the finest surprises of the year, and the posters definitely do the show justice. The blue/purple hues, the creative A in the logo, the eerie dreamlike quality – it’s all beautifully done. The line is a bit cliche but I’ll let it slide. The below banner is less ambitious, but its line does a good job of exploiting the missing person shtick that the show is based on.
Tagline: Trust the unknown.Nad RatingA

2 comments

Nad, what a great post! I love hearing your thoughts about posters as I also pay a lot of attention to them! I mostly agree with you although I really hate the Flash poster. My favourites in this list have to be Legion, the Handmaid's Tale, the Defenders and the 100.

By the way, please do watch the 100! Try to get past the first half season, you will be very surprised by the evolution of the show. It managed to evolve in one of my favourite shows! It's extremely gritty, has great characters and always manages to surprise. In any case, keep up the good work Nad!